John Lie (pronounced "Lee") is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Lie's main scholarly interest is social theory. After working on a reconceptualization of "markets," he sought to rethink the categories of modern peoplehood - race, ethnicity, and nation - which was published as Modern Peoplehood (2004). His longstanding interest in the environment has led him to write a book on sustainability - Japan, the Sustainable Society (2021) - and another on our inattention to and inaction on the impending natural catastrophe (The Global Environmental Crisis, 2025). 

He is also working on a series of books on social theory, including Understanding Social Theory and The Consolation of Social Theory. In addition, he plans to publish books on the transformation of media, Japanese modernity, and Korean diaspora.

Lie has also devoted considerable energy to undergraduate teaching and academic administration. His interest in pedagogy has culminated in an introductory textbook, Sociology: Your Compass for a New Century (with Robert Brym, 2003), which has been translated into many languages. From 2004 to 2009, he was the Dean of International and Area Studies at Berkeley.